Transposing-keyboard.



P. BIALIKQ Patented Nov. 5, 1912,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a m N E V m TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD.

IPPLIQATIOK 11.21) JAIL-13. 1912.

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TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD.

APPLICATION IILBI) JAN. 13. 1912.

1,043,504. v Patented Nov.5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTEST LNVENTQRZ mgw%i %g 'PAuLEMAuh. $1.514

W ATTYS. &

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL BIALIK, OF PINE LAWN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 01? ON E-EIGHTH T0 LOUIS BIALIK, ONE-EIGHTH TO BRUNO BIALIK, AND ONE-EIGHTH T0 ANT-HONYBIALIK, ALL OF PINE LAWN, MISSOURI, AND ONE-EIGHTH TO GEORGE BIALIK, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

TRANSPOSING-KEYBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed January 18,1912. Serial No. 671,005.

To all whom it may concem;

Be it known that I, PAUL'BIALIK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a g resident of Pine Lawn, St. Louis-county,

Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transposing-Ke boards, of which the following is'a' fu 1, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. I

- My invention relates to a transposing keyboard for pianos, organs, or other musical instruments, by which a performer upon such an instrument is enabled to produce instrumental music in a lower or higher key than that in which music may be written, in order that the tone of the instrumental section taken on irregular line II'II, Fig.

I, the transmission pin carrier being partly broken out aside from said line to show the lower ends of two of the transmission pins.

in elevation, another of the transmission pins being shown partly in section. Fig. III is a front viewof one of the transmission bars and the cooperating parts.

In the drawings: 1 designates the key levers of apiano, or other musical instrument, pivotally mounted upon a support 2.

3 and 4C are the white'an'd black keys pivot-- ally mounted upon a supporting bar 5 and adapted to seatat their upper faces against a felt pad 6 above the keys. The keys 3 and.

t are substantially-parallel with the key levers and are held from lateral movement by suitable guide pins extending upwardly from the supporting bar 5 and guide bar 11, 4

as illustrated in Fig. II.

The key levers 1 are provided; withposts 7 that extendnipwardly from said levers beneath the keys. The posts 7 serve as carriers for horizontally disposed transmission bars 8, arranged in series, one behind another. The bars" 8 extend beneath a plurality of the keys and are adapted to be depressed by' any of the keys thereabove thr ugh the medium of elements interposed between the keys and said transmission bars,

- as will hereinafter more fully appear.

9 designates a shiftable transmission: devicecarrier located above the transmission bars 8 and between said bars and the keys, the said carrier being slidably mounted in suitable guide bars- 10 and 11 that extend longitudinally of the keyboard. I This can rier is adapted to be shifted longitudinally by any suitable means,'such as a handle 12 that extends through the slot 13 in a part 14 at the front of the case of the musical'instrument. In the carrier 9, which is preferably in the form of a flat board, are vertical pin holes, arranged in lines extending obliquely. to the carrier beneath series of the keys to providefor one'pin hole being located above the transmission bar 8 associated 'wi-th one key lever, the next pin hole being stepped laterally and rearwardly relative to the first named pin hole and positioned above the transmission bar associated with the next key lever; and so onthroughout a series of said transmission bars.

- 15 designates transmission spins loosely an ranged in the carrier 9 and interposed between the keys and the horizontal transmission bars 8 to provide for the depression of said transmission bars'upon the depression of the keys. v The transmission pins are provided at their upper and lower ends with tips of felt, or other soft material, that-con tact with the keys and the horizontal transmission bars. l 4

1 6 are lift springs on the carrier 9 arranged in engagement with the -transmission pins 15 to hold them normally in elevated positions, and which may also serve to elevate the keys when they have been depressed, as well as to provide for the return or upward movement of the transmission pins after they have been lowered by thekeys to depress. the transmission bars 8 be-- neath them. I p

It should be explained thattiltinglof the key levers due to pressure of the transmission pins'15 against the transmission bars 8 near the ends of the latter, which might interfere with the operation of the levers is provided against by the provision of vertical slots extending longitudinally of the ke levers, (see dotted lines Figs. I and II and pins extending upwardly into these slots from the supports 2. If desirable, the key, levers may be similarly slotted near their forward ends to receive suitably supice ported pins mounted in a support so loated that it will not interfere with the vertical movements of the levers.

I claim 1. In a transposing keyboard, keys and i key levers substantially parallel with each other, key lever operating members extend- 1, ing transversely of series of the keys, transl mission devices interposed between the keys 5 and said operating members, and means for shifting said transmission devices trans-' versely of the keys, whereby each transmis sion device may be adjusted from one key to another key in the same series and along the respective operating member.

2. in a transposing keyboard, keys and key levers substantially parallel with each 1 other. key lever operating members carriedl by said key levers and each normally disposed transversely of a plurality of the keys, l transmission devices interposed between l the keys and said operatingmembers, and l means for shitting said transmission de-l vices transversely of the keys and longitul dinally of said ope 'ating members. i

din a transposiug keyboard, keys andl key levers substantially parallel with each other, key lever operating members carried by said key levers and normally .disposed tran.-svei'.-;el v of a plurality of the keys transmnsion pins interposed between said keys and operating members. and means for shitting said transmission pins transversely of the keys and longitudinally of said operating members.

4. in a tran posi g keyboard, keys and key levers substantia y parallel with each other, transmission bars carried by said key j levers normally disposed transversely of a plurality cl the keys, transmission pins in 1 terposed between the keys and said trans- 2 mission bars. and means for shifting said transmission pins transversely of the keys l and longitudimilly of said transmission bars. l

5. In a transposing keyboard, keys andl key levers substantially parallel with each other, key leve' operating bars extending transversely relative to said key levers and i transversely of a plurality of the keys, transmission devices interposed between the keys and said operating bars Operable singly by individual keys, and means for shifting said transmission devices transversely of the keys and parallel with said operating bars.

6. In a transposing keyboard, keys and key levers substantially parallel with each other, key lever operating bars extending itransversely relative to sald key levers stepped one back of another, transmission pins interposed between the keys and said operating bars, the said pins being arranged in stepped relation beneath succeeding keys and above the stepped operating bars, and

means for shifting said transmission pins 1 transversely of said keys and longitudinally 01" said operating bars.

I. In a transposmg keyboard, keys and key levers substantially parallel with each other, key lever operating bars extendmg 5 transversely relative to said key levers and stepped one back of another, transmission pins interposed between the keys and operating bars, the said pins being arranged in stepped relation beneath succeeding keys and above the stepped operating bars, means for shifting said transmission pins transversely of said keys and longitudinally of said operating bars; said last named means coi'nprising a slidable carrier in which the transmission pins are loosely mounted.

8. In a transposing keyboard, keys and key levers substantially parallel with each other, posts carried by said key levers, transmission bars carried by said posts and extending transversely relative to the levers and beneath a plurality of the keys, a shittable carrier between said transmission bars and said keys, and transmission pins loosely arranged in said carrier adapted to be shifted by the latter to positions beneath ditl'ercntadjoining keys while remaining in alinenient with said transmission bars.

PAUL BIALIK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

